Driver Safety
The governing body of motorsport is the FIA, which stands for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Since 1904, the FIA has represented the interests of racing, public road safety, and ecological solutions to automotive transportation (including the development of sustainable fuels and increased carbon efficiency of internal combustion engines). However, they are also responsible for the ongoing disappointment among the worldwide fans of motorsport.
When it comes to driver safety, Formula One (F1) and the FIA have taken—not just strides but leaps—in terms of advancing safety engineering. Still, the reckless events that took place at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix raised serious questions about the FIA’s commitment to driver safety.
Racing on a Wet Track
We all know how much harder it is to drive a car in the rain. It impairs visibility and adds an extra layer of unpredictability to your commute. Now imagine driving a car less than half that weight, in the rain, at 175mph without a roof over your head or a windshield in front of you.
Motorsport has a tricky relationship with the rain—it certainly creates more excitement, but that comes at a cost to driver safety. Frequently, drivers and race directors disagree over the “raceability” of a wet track.
In these situations, there is certainly a very fine line to adhere to—a line in which nobody is more qualified to toe than the FIA. When the track is wet, the governing body has complete discretion in mandating all teams to use their most grippy “extreme-wet” tires. Despite the pouring rain, the FIA did not make that decision. Whether inexperience got the best of the first-year race director, or they simply acted with a significant level of inculpability and ignorance, Sunday’s race began in dangerous conditions on tires that were not up for the task.
Lap 1
The stillness that covered the grid before the lights went out was a bit louder than normal. Before the first lap was completed, the blinding spray forced three cars off the track. Straying even a fraction off the racing line proved to be quite an adventurous affair. Still, the drivers were going well over 150mph on the quickest parts of the track.
Carlos Sainz was the first to spin his Ferrari. He was left stranded, dangling halfway into the middle of the track, as the other drivers raced towards him. Normally, drivers can see when a car goes off the track in front of them—not this time.
As the video below shows, there is simply not enough time to relay the message of a crash to the other 17 drivers approaching Sainz. Sitting helplessly, he was invisible to them. Miraculously, the Spaniard was spared and, luck struck Suzuka for the first time that night.
Lap 2
The safety car was thrown out to collect the debris and fix the wall. Just up the road, another car had given out and would need to be recovered. The assignment was handed to the race marshals—collect two cars, repair the barrier, and clear any debris on-track—all while the cars tiptoed their way around them.
If that sounds dangerous, it is because it is. Eight years ago, Jules Bianchi was killed after crashing into a recovery vehicle stopped on the side of the track. In the aftermath, the FIA made rule changes to prevent recovery vehicles from entering the track during a race; if a crane is to be used, there must be a red flag.
Bianchi’s crash was the last time a Formula One driver lost their life during a race; it also happened in Japan and in wet conditions. Luckily, history did not repeat itself, and luck struck again at Suzuka.
Tractor on Track
The two videos show just how close Pierre Gasly’s car came to the recovery vehicle. Gasly was a lap down, essentially racing his way to catch-up under double-waving yellow flags. He was well within his right to be at that speed and unaware that there was a tractor taking up half of the road in front of him.
Whether there was a miscommunication, or the decision to deploy a recovery vehicle onto the track was made with an egregious level of negligence, the bottom line is that the opening laps were handled haphazardly and put the lives of the drivers and each of the 500+ marshals who volunteered their time to be at the track at an unnecessary risk. In 2020, when a similar incident happened during a race weekend in Turkey, the decision provoked controversy. This time, it sparked outrage.
Driver Concerns
“I arrived there first and saw the crane and I had perfect visibility. But when you are behind, you are always trying to drive out of the spray. You go left and right but you can’t really see anything. That’s when things happen.” – Max Verstappen (via @vetteleclerc on Twitter)
Carlos Sainz was the first to express his thoughts on the race-start procedure.
Sebastian Vettel, with a Hachimaki tied around his head, shared some choice words as well.
Reporter: “We will remember that terrible time here 8 years ago—”
Three main decisions were not made that could have helped reduce the likelihood of each incident:
Mandate full wet tires for all of the drivers before the race
Start the race from a rolling start behind the safety car
Move the race start time up to avoid the weather
The FIA chose none of these options. Ultimately, the first two laps ended with meaningless, egotistical, racing for which there is no excuse for.
Max Wins the Title…or does he?
Coming into the race, Max needed to score 8 more points than Charles Leclerc to win his second World Championship.
However, it looked as if the race would not resume. The rain continued, but a decision was made to try and get started again anyway. The drivers made their way into the cars in fresh linen and dry suits. Then, the race start was aborted. The drivers got back out of their cars, and no further word was given for nearly two hours.
All of a sudden, the teams were given a 10-minute warning to get their cars ready for the track. Audiences at home were notified at the same time, and the entire paddock kicked into high gear to comply.
By then, the rain had slowed and on-track visibility had greatly improved. The race resumed behind the safety car with just under 45 minutes of time left. A 25-lap sprint-race ensued.
Within the first five laps, nearly every driver switched from extreme wets onto inters. After changing tires, Max nearly built himself a half lap lead. Behind him, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez were scrapping away for second place.
Entering the final corner, Perez had his Red Bull pressed up against the gearbox of Leclerc’s Ferrari. Perez lunged down the inside, but was unable to make the overtake. In his defense, Leclerc’s Ferrari skipped off the track and missed the final corner. He re-entered the track, still holding his lead, and crossed the line in second place. Max had not yet been crowned.
After the race, the FIA investigated the incident at the final corner and concluded that the Ferrari had gained an unfair advantage by cutting the corner. Leclerc was given a five-second penalty, and Perez was handed P2. The development meant that Max would in fact become a two-time World Champion.
In the confusion, Verstappen was dragged back out in front of the cameras, interrupting his teammate’s post-race interview, to be congratulated. Afterwards, he was forced to sit atop a red-velvet throne in his own special room labelled “Reserved for World Champion.”
For two years running, the F1 Drivers’ Championship has ended in controversy. This time, there was no congratulatory radio call to Max; no celebration atop his car; no race-winning donuts; and no fireworks at the end of the race (proverbial or literal).
The silver lining within the otherwise impromptu and awkward race was Honda sealing its ties to Red Bull ahead of next season. Japanese fans got to see their home team’s best driver win his second World Championship, but they didn’t even know it. Leading up to the U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, the FIA will be have to some seriously scrutinizing questions to answer.